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1811 was regarded at the time as the greatest vintage in living memory, and is now universally held to be the finest vintage of the 19th century throughout the vineyards of Western Europe.
A long hot summer and a warm dry autumn meant an abundant harvest of perfectly ripe grapes, from Bordeaux to Burgundy, from the Rheingau to the vineyards of Tokaji. In Cognac, the folle blanche reached an unequalled level of perfection, and the distillers knew that they were dealing with a once in a lifetime harvest. In the same year, Napoleon himself visited the region, and was presented with a barrel of cognac as a gift for his young son.
Many ascribed the extraordinary weather to the remarkable astronomical event that had dominated the year - The Great Comet. The comet was visible by astronomers for 17 months, but for two months - September and October 1811, exactly the time grapes were harvested - it was clearly visible to the naked eye, illuminating the night sky with a coma that at one point exceeded the diameter of the sun. It was taken as sign of supernatural blessing on the harvest, which henceforth was known as
"The Comet Vintage".